a sorta fairytale
by Noah Percy
Summary: Do you love me? Ivy Walker asked of Noah Percy. Noah took a long time to reply, and it worried her. (Pre "Village")


**Summary: **One afternoon, dancing madly in the leaves turned into a serious discussion about love. It changed everything for us. (Pre "Village")

**Disclaimer: **M. Night Shyamalan owns all of the mentioned characters. Tori Amos owns the rights to the lyrics _"A Sorta Fairytale_." (Listen to it on _Scarlet's Walk. _Watch the video! Adrien Brody's in it! I mean, come on. Tori and Adrien... What could be better? One of the people who helped create the video made this comment about the lyrics: _"Two misfits meet. They kiss, and become complete." _To me, that is a very Ivy/Noah description.)

**Rated for **sexual content.

**a (sorta) fairy tale**

_"Do you love me?"_

These words were whispered in a hushed tonethat blended in beautifully with the rushing fall wind. A few yellow leaves floated past, and there was a silence.

Noah Percy was stretched out upon the soft grass, his long, chestnutlocks strewnacross his attractive face. His wide blue eyes were questioning. He watched a cricket hop. He did not answer.

"Noah, don't _do this!" _Ivy Walker cried in impatience, but laughed. She was lying across Noah, her head upon his chest, her own auburn tresses covering her face. She could feel his heartbeat racing. She did not have to see his facial expression to know that he was seriously thinking about his answer.

Only moments ago, they had been dancing- dancing in the whirling mass of leaves. Ivy had created a song as they twirled, doing the way some did at weddings and such events, without the poise, grace, or attitude. Ivy's way was fixed. She was quite a skilled dancer, though how she was doing now was an aberration from the normal. she would move about with her own, made up steps and twirl until her ringlets were spinning. Noah, on the other hand, was a bouncer. He jumped up and down energetically and clapped enthusiastically and had so much spunk that he could almost be forgiven by even the most talented of dancers in the village.

Soon, they stopped with their own interpretations and molded together, combining the two styles surprisingly easily. They had shouted with laughter and twirled in a circular motion, growing dizzier and dizzier, until Ivy's humming became a steady beat. She bowed slightly, and took Noah's hand in hers, her other hand upon his middle, and they _really _danced. _Normally_ danced, in the eyes of some. Ivy's smile was a serious one, and Noah looked upon her with fascination. She could feel the trembling in his hand, and she did not have to see his expression to know that he enjoyed dancing with her this way.

Suddenly, without warning, Noah had giggled and had sat down very quickly, pulling her with him. She gasped at first, but then tutted. He settled back onto the grass and she assumed her position beside him.

There was something so exquisite about the both of them when they were together. Something so complete and whole- so full. Except no one saw it. And neither could they.

Noah grinned and reached out, taking her hand and placing a crumpled leaf into it.

"Thank you... I think," she said jokingly. He laughed and took it back, throwing it into a gust of wind, and watched as it blew into the grass. She knew him well enough to sense when something was a real gift, not just a gag present. Ivy was wise beyond her sixteen years.

He settled back down and closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of the grass brushing his cheeks and then the way that Ivy pressed herself to his heart.

Ivy wondered if he was thinking of her. It was hard to tell what Noah Percy was thinking on days like this. He'd been so quiet, and it worried her in some ways.

Vivian always moaned about how she wished he was _all there_ and how she wanted him to be _ordinary. _Ivy always held her tongue when this subject arose. In her opinion, there was no _ordinary_ but if ordinary did exist, and Noah was the way everyone wanted him to be, then he wouldn't want anything to do with **her**. Only once, she had confided in Kitty about this matter.

_"Noah Percy! Ordinary?" Kitty dissolved into a fit of sniggering._

_Ivy groaned._

_"I don't mean it rudely, you know that!"_

_"It was a question, Kitty."_

_Kitty sobered up and replied, "Noah Percy not wanting anything to do with you? That is preposterous_!"

Ivy was not quite so sure.

She kept her face down, kept it down so he would not see her face.

"Do you love me?" she murmured.

It took Noah a few minutes to answer. He knew what he wanted to say. He just was not certain how to announce it so that it felt _correct. _The way everyone else proclaimed their feelings. He wanted to sound like that. Nothing less.

_"Noah Percy, don't do this!"_

What was taking Noah so long was the fact that he and Ivy had said _I love you _other times before, but those times were different somehow. Nonchalant, perhaps? But the way Ivy was speaking now- this seemed special. And Noah still had his answer.

"Yes." It was a statement. He'd have to stay simplistic for the moment.

Ivy sat up. "Noah, I am so serious right now."

"Me, too," was his reply, but he really did not know what _about. _Of course he loved her! She'd known that, all ready, though. Hadn't she?

She grinned and kissed the tip of his nose, her heard fluttering. Noah smiled faintly, and then grimaced.

_"Love me?" _he questioned gingerly, touching a finger to her cheek.

"Always," she replied, and settled back against him. But Noah shoved her playfully, chuckling to himself. "Noah- be still for a moment, please?" Her voice was not stern, but was serious, so Noah sucked in a bit of air apologetically and obeyed. Ivy leaned upon his chest once more.

_"Please, Kitty. What does he look like?"_

A memory from the last year floated through Ivy's mind.

_"You remember. You know."_

_"I only have but a fleeting memory, from when I was about four years old. We hardly saw each other, then. Sometimes I can see the outlines of his features- sometimes I get a flash of eyes. But mostly it is just his color... Kitty?"_

_Kitty rolled her eyes lovingly. "You probably know how he looks better than I- better than any of us! Do not try to fool me!"_

_"I want to know how he looks in **your** terms!" Ivy pleaded._

_"Well, then. If I must-" Kitty joked softly, and began. "He has this absolutely wild mane of hair, and-"_

_Ivy smiled, closing her eyes. "I know, I've-"_

"_You wanted **me **to tell, remember?" _

"_Sorry. Go on."_

_"He is tall, lank... Has a silly smile. His eyes are quite pretty..." Suddenly, Kitty's tone became harsh. "Ivy- I don't know!" Kitty shook her head. "I know what he is too well to describe him in this sense."_

_Ivy's eyes flashed. "What he **is**, sister?"_

_"Do **not **play stupid, Ivy! He is the equivalent of a child, and he will always be so!"_

_"**Take that BACK! **He is no child; he is twenty- one years of age-"_

_"You **know **that does not matter-"_

_"Doesn't it? You and I know he is a man. He may be different in thinking than the others here, but that **does not make him a child **and it does not mean he is not beautiful, and fun and **yes, Kitty**, smart. Maybe not the smart that Papa rewards in school, but he **knows things, Kitty. He knows so many things that we will never understand."**_

_"He is mad, Ivy, and sooner or later, you'll have to stop being so chummy with him or it will seem odd. The two of you are all ready looked at as abnormal on your own-"_

_Ivy stood up, gripping her polished cane firmly, and began to walk away._

_"Ivy, wait! Wait! I am so sorry- I- take it back.. I think it's wonderful that you befriended Noah. I think it's wonderful you understand him!" Kitty cried, following her sister._

_Turning around, Ivy said steadily," We **freaks** get along, you know."_

_With that, she left._

Ivy drew in a deep breath, and tried to forget that particular argument. Kitty had learned to hold her tongue since then (better, at least) , but at times, Ivy knew she was still thinking those thoughts. But nothing of that sort mattered. People could talk and they could judge all that they wanted, and Ivy would still love Noah Percy.

She reached out and stroked the soft tresses that were part of an _absolutely wild mane of hair. _She smiled to herself when he held her hand steadily and kissed her fingers.

Everyone was so wrong.

Noah snuggled up to Ivy, wrapping himself around her so that they were intertwined. They lay in silence for what seemed like forever, until suddenly, Ivy turned over and sat up. Noah was shifted over to the side, and he too sat, looking at her expectantly.

Ivy scooted even closer, so that her bangs brushed across Noah's forehead. She tilted her head and slowly pressed her mouth against his, sucking on his lips softly.

Noah could not move. He was bolted to the spot, intimidated. They'd kissed before, certainly. Every day. A sweet peck on the cheek. Once or twice he'd grazed her lips- but never this way. It was like the _I love you_. **Serious and confusing and different**. He wanted her to continue- but he wanted her to stop. He felt small.

She grasped his hands tenderly and pressed them to her bosom, kissing him deeper. They were locked together sensually- _they were one_. It was a good feeling.

But something about it _troubled _Noah.

Eyes widened in puzzlement, Noah jerked away. His breathing was wild.

_"Noah- _what is wrong?"

_"U-u- I-!" _He couldn't make sense of what he was thinking. He leapt to his feet. His eyes leapt about, questioning everything, his mouth twitching. She didn't have to see his facial expression to know that he was alarmed.

"What is the matter?"

Noah made a strangled squeaking noise, a whimper. "I- I'm, _goodnight_," he told her. With that, he hurried away, the wind following behind him, surrounding him with leaves. He wrapped his arms around himself and headed home.

Ivy sat in silence, with only her own rigid breathing for company. Her heart was still beating pleasurably, her lips were still wet. Her legs quivered. Except now, he had gone.

_"He loves you just as much as you love him. More, I'd say." Ivy blushed. "But he's never going to mature the way you have, Ivy."_

_"You don't know him well enough to say that."_

_"Oh, Ivy. Soon you're going to outgrow him. You'll realise it's not meant to be, and you'll outgrow him."_

_**"Never."**_

There by Resting Rock, Ivy Walker buried her face in her hands and wept.

_'Every promise broken. Every defense a lie. Everything ruined.'_

Tears streamed down her pretty face so quickly that she did not even realise it had begun to rain. She cradled herself there for hours. She did not have to see Noah's expression to know that he was doing the same.

_and I'm so sad. _

_like a good book, I can't put this day back. _

_it's a (sorta) fairytale with you._

_a (sorta) fairytale with you._

_feel out the... breeze_

_didn't know when we'd be back and I _

_I don't and didn't think we'd end up like_

_Like this._

**-end-**


End file.
